“Except this isn’t one of your books, Darby. This is my screwed-up life,” I mutter.
She nods sadly. “Maybe you could eventually love Pavel,” she suggests, looking forlorn.
“He’s in love with someone else,” I whisper despondently. I would tell her the whole truth, about Pavel being gay, but his secret is not mine to tell.
Darby gasps and puts her face in her hands. “Seriously, what kind of fucked-up alternate reality are we in right now?” she groans.
I sigh deeply. “No one wins today,” I say miserably. “I’m marrying the brother of the man I love, and the man I’m marrying will never be able to love me. If anything, I feel worse for Pavel than even myself. I can’t even imagine what he’s going through right now,” I tell her honestly. Pavel’s entire life is going to be a lie, and he’llnever be able to be with the person he truly loves. It’s like a Greek tragedy.
Loud commotion in the hallway beyond the closed doors catches our attention.
“Wonder what’s going on?” Darby asks.
“No clue.” After a few minutes, the ruckus quiets down, and several doors slam shut. I shrug. “Probably my stepmother on another tirade,” I say with an eyeroll.
“Probably,” Darby agrees in a whisper.
They always talk about bridezillas, but they never talk about the stepmother of the bride. She’s been a force to be reckoned with the moment we started planning this damn thing. You would swear it washerwedding day. She even showed up today wearing a white dress that looks so similar to mine, I’m sure people are going to be wondering if she is getting married today too.
“The audacity of that woman,”Darby had said when she first saw Cosette’s dress.
But I push the thought of my stepmother purposely trying to upstage me today to the back of my mind. She’s actually the least of my issues. I have plenty of other stuff to deal with.
Darby pops up in my peripheral vision, carrying a couple of beauty supplies in her hands. “Now, let’s fix our makeup before that woman comes back and kills both of us,” Darby offers, and I eventually nod in agreement.
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
Savina
MY HEART IS threateningto pound out of my chest as the double doors open to the main part of the cathedral. Hundreds of people are standing at the pews, staring at me, and I suddenly feel as if I can’t breathe as panic overwhelms me to the point where I worry that I’m going to pass out.
Papà pats my hand for reassurance, and then steps forward, forcing me to do the same since I’m practically attached to him at this point. I can feel all eyes on me as my father walks me down the aisle, but I keep my head down, not wanting to meet anyone’s gaze.
Tears gather in my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. I’ve cried so many times over the last few days. I’m surprised I even have enough moisture in my body to even summon any. Through my tears, I see the blurry outlines of the priest, Darby and my awaiting groom at the altar.Dimitri, who is supposed to be the best man, isn’t up there.
And as I approach the last two pews where immediate family isseated, I can’t help but lift my head and search the familiar faces. There is one face that is missing, however, and my heart sinks into the pit of my stomach when I don’t find him there either.
Dimitri is not here.And somehow it makes all of this feel so much worse.
We reach the bottom of the steps that lead up to the platform where the priest is patiently waiting, and my father kisses my cheek before going to his seat. I’m supposed to walk up on my own, but I can’t seem to get my feet to move. I stand still, swaying slightly; and suddenly, I don’t know if I’m going to faint or throw up. Maybe both. The world around me starts spinning, and I stumble. I hear my stepmother cry out as I begin to fall.
I brace for impact, but it never comes. Instead, there’s a strong hand gripping my hand as a muscular arm wraps around my back, steadying me and keeping me from falling to the cold, stone floor.
“Savina,” a deep voice says, and I recognize it instantly.
“Dimitri?” I say quietly, blinking my eyes and questioning my reality. He’s dressed in a tailored black suit with a matching shirt and tie. His icy blue eyes and handsome face are laced with concern. “Are you really here?” I whisper in awe.
“I’m here,” he says, his lips set in a grim line while a crease deepens between his brows. “Everything is going to be all right,” he tries to assure me.
But he’s wrong. Nothing is going to be all right, and nothing ever will be. I begin to shake my head at him, tears threatening to fall, but he pulls me forward, towards the altar, almost as if he can’t wait until I get up there to marry his brother.
Except…the closer we get; I see that Pavel isn’t standing there. My head swivels in both directions, looking for him, but he’s nowhere to be found. There is simply a priest, Darby standing off to the side with a bewildered look on her face, andus.
“Where…” I wheeze, on the verge of hyperventilating.
Dimitri leans closer and whispers in my ear, “Pavel ran awaywith his bodyguard. So, the marriage contract between the two of you is officially null and void.”
I pull back and stare into his familiar gaze. “What does that mean?”
